Apparatus for controlling mechanism of moving vessels or vehicles.



UNiTsD l STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRADLEY'ALLN risKs, OF 'rus funirse STATES NAVY, AssIGNOR 'ro THE f WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS For contractura Mecinmsn or Movme vissers or vesicles.

. srEcmcaTIoN formingpm of Leners Patent No. 660.155. asten october 2a,1i eeo Application lod September 7, 1898. `Serial No. 69.0.43.8. Ulu model.)

To all uhom it may concern:

Beit known that I, BRADLEY ALLAN FIsKE, a `lieutenant. in the United States Navy, have iuventeda certain new and useful lmprovenient in Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vessels or Vehicles, (Case No. 2,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to an itnprovementin apparatus for controlling from a distance the mechanism of moving vessels or vehicles; and its object is to obviate'the necessity of physical connection by other than the natural media in space between the moving object' and the distant station from which it is to be lcontrolled.

My in'vention is especially applicable to au- Y tomobile torpedoes or other water-craft, and

'the motor devices or mechanism controlled by my improved method and apparatus may be 'applied or adapted Ato the doing Of any desired work in connection with the moving body. For instance, inyinvention is of especialvalue when use is made of it to control the steering mechanism of.the vessel and makes it possible to control the movements of a torpedo with great certainty from ashore,

from the deck of a ship, or the like without being hampered by certain practical diticulties which have heretofore stood in the way of successfullyaccomplishing such a result.

Tho principal reason why automobile torpedoes are not .more extensively used in naval warfare is that with the apparatus heretofore available it has been ex tremelydicult While launching the torpedo to aim it with sucieut precision to strike the enemys shi-p. Itis usual at this time to launch or fire tor vpedoes from pneumatic tubes mounted upon carriages. These torpedo-tubes are placed in the ship either above or below the water-line. If they are below, the diicnlty of accurate aiming is materially increased, while if they are above the waler-line the loa ied torpedo is exposed to theenemys re while the torpedo-tu be and carriageare being manipulated. For this reason nearly all modern ships are constructed with their torpedo-tubes below the water-li ne. v

It has heretofore been roposed to connect the torpedo with the ship ymeanso! au electric cable which is carried by theftorpedo and un reeled as the latter con ti n ues on its cou rse.

This plan, however, has been found to hcjob.

jectionable en account of the great length and weight of cable which is .required for such.

a purpose, and numerous other practical diioulties have stood in the wayof its successf nl operation. In accordance with my inveumechanism for performing certain work upon the moving vessel-such, for instance, as the f work of operating the steering-gear-is associated witha local circuit upon the vessel,-

which circuit controls the said inotor mechanism andfis adjusted or rendered sensitive to the waves, radiations, .or etheric disturbfences emanating from thedistant station, whereby the said local controlling circuit Operation of the said motor mechanism and the devices operated or controlled thereby may beeffected from a distance without physical connection. 5

A-inplifying the above statement somewhat and referring directly to the special object in maybe renderedactive or inactive and the,

view--that is, the control of an automobile.

torpedo-an electrical radiator may be 10- catedV on shore or upon the ship from which the torpedo i's launched, 'such radiator being capable of'transmitting electrical waves of such peculiaran'd distinctive character. oninf vterrnpted at such intervals of time as tacn-l stitute distinctive signals. The rudder of the torpedo may be connected with electromagnetic-motor mechanism for changing itsl position, whereby the torpedo may be steered, and this electromagnetic motor or steering mechanism may be'associated with a local circuit or circuits and a source ofcurrent, suchcircuitbeing sensitive to or includinga device which is sensitive to the wave-signals sent out by the transmitting-station, means being provided whereby said circuit mayselect or respond to distinctive signals, and thus apparatus.

It'is desirable that the apparatus on'tlre torpedo should be capable of receiving and control diierent movements of 'the steering selecting a number of dierent signals which may be set up at the transmitting-station, so

' illustrate, suppose that? the circuit upon'the torpedo includes'two signal-reeeivinginstruments, each of which-is adapted torespond' to al pulsating or intermittent current of electricity of' a given periodicitythat is,jsup pose that one of the instru mentswillrespnd to an electric current which is varied or in` terrupted ata given rate-say t times per sec-A vond---and let the other si gnal-receivin g instrumenthe adapted to respond to a currentwhich is varied or interrupted at a differentiate-#4 say t' times per second. Let each ofthese signalreceiving instruments be so associated that when one of them is thrown into-action the steering mechanism will'be inuenced in a particular way and when the other is thrown into'action the steering mechanism will beinfluenced inan'other anddiieren'tway. Now it is evident that if the radiator at thetraus :pitting-station be caused to -senfd out electricalfwaves 'intermittentlyat the rate of t times per-second, the coherer whenproperly adjusted, by absorbing these intermittent waves or-vibrations, will-intermittently, at

the rate of t times per second, decrease the resistance of the' local circuit which-includes the signal-receiving devices, thereby producing in such local circuit a'pulsating current with a corresponding frequency. One o'f the two signal-receiving instruments; therefore, will respondvand intlucneeihe electromagnetic steering: mechanism in the predeter' mined way, but the' other receiving instrument zwill remain inactive'. Likewise t`.will be evident that'the latter instrument lmay be-'actuated-by causing the radiator at the transmitting-station .to send out electrical' waves intermittently at the rateof t' times per sccon'd. Itf will be seen that by providing two Buchreceiviug instruments adapted one to control electromagnetic mechanism for put-1 ting the helm of the torpedo to starboard 'and the4 other to control similar mechanism for putting the 'helm to port, if signals or'elec' trical impulses having a periodicity or pitch corresponding to that of the receiving instru ments onboard the torpedo are sentent from underthe reed'cls is mounted. the

Hertzian .waves the torpedoanay' be steered -at will from' the'transuiitting-station by sending ont signals to actuate either one or the other of the receiving instruments. f

the transmittingtation means of the The lmovements of the torpedo -thrtmgh the n watencannsnally be followed bythe eye by watchingv the air-bubbles that. rise to the su r-- face of the water, or the torpedo may be provided withpapparatus for generating calcium- "hosphid gas, which rises to the surface of he water and burns.- These means are well- Without known. going intodetail. itmay be stated that. the torpedo may be kept-at a unlform depth-'say about ten feet under waterbymechanism which isicontrolled' by a hydr0- static piston. This is old in the' a'rt and needs no further description. 4I will describe the details of my invention more particularly by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration f a torpedo embodying' my'inventiou, this view being intended orilyzto'show the' relativepo- .sitions which are occuped by the explosive,

the air-tanks; the engine, orother propelling means, and the electrical steering-apparatus which forms' the subject of this application. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing thetransuiittingstatioufor sending outHert-zian waves of the required character. Fig. 3 shows in'diagram l the responsive apparatus provided lortho' torpedo for receiving signals Sent out`by the' transmitting s`tation, and thereby actuating the electrical steering mechanism.' i 'The same letters of reference are usod'to designate-similar parts wherever they-are shown'.

' In the stern of thetorpedo a are provided two slenoids b b','-'ha.ving a core la2 common toboth of them. `This core carries-a pin b', which engages a slot-0'; provided in the en'd of'the'helm c. .The helm'is associated with the rudderin theusual man-ner. 'It will therefore` be seen' that if-the solenoid b is energized and draws in the core thefhelm will bep'ut to port, and 'that if, on'the other hand,the solenoid b' is energized and the core b attracted therebythe helm will be put to starboard. Now itwillbepnderstood that'f means are steered inthe direction desired. To eiectfthis,

theslenoid' is inluded'in a local circuit with abattery or source of cul-rent'd.- .f'Similarly the'solenoid b' is'- included in a local circuit Y, providedffor energizingeither the solenoid b' or' the solenoid b'at will the torpedo may be with a battery e. The solenoid b, however, 'I'

'isnormally 4s lsmri'fcrcuited at d"ihrough the resistance d, andlikewise the solenoid b' is normally short-circuited at 'e' through the re- -sistau'ce e. The means for short-circuitng the solenoid b consist of a reed or spring d,

normally resting upon the contact d,.while j the means for short-circuiting the solenoid b' -similarly consist in a reed or spring cl2-normall y resting upon a contact ef. Im mediately reed f. of

the receiving instrumentf, such reedfn being placed in inductive relation to the magnet f' lof said receiving instrument.` Thereed'fz has a characteristic pitch or rate of vibration much slower,and. raises the spring da from its contact d?. thereby breaking the circuit of the battery d at that point. 'lhejcurrent o f the battery thereupon will, ow only through the solenoid b, which will of course be energized. The circuit will remain broken at'd as long as the reed f2 continues' io vibrate.

A receiving instrumentg, consistingof the magnet g' and reed g2, isdisposed in front ofthe reed ea and is similarly adapted to open the circuit of the battery e at the point e'.

the brsh 'is and another between the receiv- Ther-eed g2 has a'. characteristicpitch br rate' ofyibration which is diderent from the pitch ofthe reedf2 and will be thrown into vibra,- tion only when electrical impulses of a periodicity corresponding toits characteristic pitch are .impressed u pon the circuit including the magnet 'g'. The receiving instrumentsfand g are vincluded in series in a local circuit with the battery or source of current h, the continuity of this circuit being controlled bya coherer t', which is adapted to respond to Hertzian waves set up by a radiator k at the transmitting-station.

The form of cohererl which is shown in the drawings is well known, but for the sake of clearness will be briefly described. vA glasstube -is 'fitted with two silver pole-pieces t" i', attached toirods 111?, which projectout th rough the. endsl of the tube and arecngaged by copper strips or brushes is t?, forming the terminals of the circuit which 'includes'the battery It and the' *receiving instruments f and g. Choking coils i* i* are provided in the circuit, one between' the receiving instrument f and ing instrument g and the other brush-?. The rods 17 'i2 are mounted in bearings 'i5 i@ topermit the rotation of the glass tube. l Between the pole-pieces 'i' i is provided a small quantity off-powder, which may consist of a mixture of silver and' nickel filings with a slight trace` of mercury.r Normally when" the powderis iua disordered condition the resistance of the path through the coherer is extremely high, approximately twenty thousand ohms;` but when its absorption of elecd tric waves set up by the radiator is intense the. particlesof powder cohere,'and the resistance of this path drops to something like tive ohms, thereby practically closing the circuit. The powder remainscohered unless the.

tube is mechanically agitated, and to decohere the powder I preferably` rotate the tube on its axis in the bearings if' i. This may be done by a belt passing from the pulley z to the pulley z" of a small motor, which iskept constantly running.

The transmitting-station is il'lustratedfin Fig. 2 The Hertzien radiator k consists, as usual, of three solid brass balls Vin alinement', the. outer balls being connected to the termillnais of: the secondary winding of an induction-coil l: The primary winding of the induction-coil is included in circuit with abattery m, keys n and o, and vibrating make and-break pieces 'n' and o'. The makeand-Y break piece n' consists of a reed n, whose characteristic pitch or rate of vibration is the same 'asthat of the reed f2 of the' receiving- 'instrumentf-sayt times per second. Similarly the reed o2 of the makeand-break piece o' has a characteristic pilchlor rat of vibration corresponding to that of he reed g of the receiving instrument' g--ssy t times per second. vThe reeds n and oiare kept in constunt vibration by means of magnets '11. o,

which are included in circuit with a local bat' tery p' and, being in constant vibration, alternately make and break contact with their respective contact-anvils n o, whichare eonnected with one terminal of the battery m. A c'ondense'r q is connected in multiple with the contacts of the vibrating make-and-b'reak pieces and the keys n and o to suppress the sparks which would otherwise manifest themselves. When the key n is depressed, there fore, vit will be understood that the radiator 7twill be caused to send out Hertzian waves whose frequency may be millions per second;- but the operation of the radiator is intermittently interrupted vby the make-and-break piece n t times per second, which we have assumed to be the characteristic pitch or rate. of vibration of the reed f? associated with the receiving instrument f upon the torpedo. The' powder of the cohen-eri then will be influenctd by the Hertzian waves, which are intermittently set up, as described, and will Ilo alternately cohere and decohere "as many times in a second as the production of Hert zian waves from the radiator k is interru-ptedg' This action ofcourse results in intermittently reducing the coherer, batteryh, and the two receiving instru men tsf und g. Since we have assumed the rate o f interruption at the'radiator lo bet times per second, it is manifest that a pulsating current whose frequency is twill be'produced insuch local circuit. There- 'fore the reed f1, whose characteristic pitch or A4cuit which includes the buttery d, thus caus lrate of vibration we have assumed to be t, is

ing the current from said battery to be drected through the solenoid b, energizing the lat-l ter and putting the helm toport.' In lil e manner if v the key o is depressed'intermittent impulses having a periodicity corres to the rate of .vibration of the reed g will be wading o sent through the primary of the inductioncoil by means o f the vibrating makeand- -brealr piece o', and these Vintermittent impulses \'vil1,afect the coherer on the torpedo- 5 boat to cause intermittent impulses of the same periodicity to be supplied to the circuit which includes the receiving instruments f and g. Since these impulses have the .same periodicity as the rate of vibration of the reed xo g2, the latter will be thrown into vibration and current from the battery e thereby'directed through the' solenoid b' and the helm put to starboard. It will. thus be seen that byv de- -pressing either t-he key n or the key othe tor- !5 pedo may be steered in one direction or the other, as desired. An especial advantage of this arrangement is that'the torpedo may be launched on the opposite'sideof the ship from the point which it is desired to attack audI zo from which re 'may bedirected upontheship,

so that there is no danger of -the torpedo being struck by an'enemys shot and exploded while .being launched. Y

In.Ei'g. 3 I have illustrated, diagrammatic- :5 ally,'v i n dotted lines a supplemental coherer whichjma'y beincluded in multiple with the 'coherent'. This maybe desirable in some cases to increase the sensitiveness o f the signal-receiving apparatus, acting as a guard 3o against failure of the apparatus to operate if for any reason the coherer i should not work .properly-that is to say, one of the coherers may respond a `little more readily than the other .to Hertzian .waves of a given Awave 35 length or from a given distance and the twomay therefore be included in multiple with the circuit'to be controlled; so that if one vdoes not respondasquickly asl it should the circuit may y'et be controlled by the other. 40 Such asupplemental coherer will not,.how

ever, in all cases be necessary or desirable,

since ordinarily one coherer alone will be sufficient for the purpose.

I have illustrated andV particularly de i5 scribedmyinvention as embodied in an apparatus for' steering automobile torpedoes;

but it isevdent that it may b e found useful A forother allied purposes, and while I consider -it needless here to' enter into. vague and i'm' I 5o vaginative speculatonsas to' the extent of its 8llplication or its possible valueto mankind vI do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the particular .apparatus illustrated.4 A v 55 I thereforeclaim- 'trical waves or disturbanc, ci a moving vess'el `or vehicle and mechanism thereon for steering or operating the same, and control- 6o ling apparatus adapted to be actuated by the influence of the saidwaves or disturbances at a distance frointhe source, asset forth.

2. The combination with a sonrceof e'lec-- ing or operating the same, acircuit and means 1. The combination with a source of elec? Boones therein for controlling said, mechanism; and

trical waves or disturbances and Vmeans for' starting or stopping the same', of a vessel or vehicle; steering mechanism carried thereby,

for controlling the operation of said mechanism and adj usted or rendered sensitive to the v or disturbances of the source, as netv forth.

4.' The combination withA a 'source of elec-- 4a circuit containing or connected with means trical waves or disturbances and means for starting or stopping the operation of the same,

` of a vessel or vehicle-,mechanism carried thereby foi-'steeringor operating'the vessel, local circuits controlling said mechanism, a circuit sensitive to the waves or disturbances of the source, and means therein adapted to control the said local circuits, as and for'the purposes set forth.v A i 5. The combination with an automobile vesanism for controlling the Aoperating mechanism of the vessel, a responsive device adapted to be actuated by etheric waves or disturb ences, means controlled by saidresponsive.

device, for actuating' said motor mechanism, a distant source of etheric waves'or disturbences adapted to send out wave-sgnals'of a distinctive character, and means for controll ling said source, whereby the mechanism oi' thevessel or vehicle may be controlled from the source of said waves ordisturbancemsubstantially as set forth. 6. The combination with a moving vesselor vehicle,of electromagnetic motor mechanism, as b b', for controlling the operating mechanism of 'the vessel, an electric circuit adjusted or rendered responsive to etheric waves or dis turbances, a source. of current in the circuit o sel or vehicle, of electromagneticmotor m'echlll and means actuated by the flow of 'current in Y the circuit forrcontrolling the said motor mechanism, and means for propagating etheric waves or-divsturbances of. a .character to which said circuit is responsive, whereby the electromagnetic motor mechanism and consequently the operating mechanism of the ressll maybe ooutrolledsubstantiallyas set ort Y .f-L l 7. The combination with a moving vessel or vehicle, of electromagnetic motor devices bb' for controlling thel operating mechanism of the vessel, a circuit adjusted or rendered sensitive to electrical waves or vibrations,` a

source of current in the'cirouit, signal-receiv- 'rag ing instrumentsf g controlling thesaid electromagne'tic motor devices, each of said instruments beingadapted to select and respond to electric signals of distinctive character re ceived by the circuit, and means at a distant point `for transmitting such signals by elecy Y tricalwaves or vibrations'. wherebythe opera.

'tionof said electromagnetic motor devices may be eiected from such distant point, as described. 1 e

S. 'The combination with an automobile tor 5 pedo,h of a rudder therefor, electromagnetic steering mechanism adapted to control the position of said rudder, a plurality of selective signal-receiving devices adapted each to respond to electrical impulses of distinctive character, said signal-receiving devices serv.- ing to control said electromagnetic steering mechanism, an electric circuit includingsaid signal'l receiving devices, a responsive de: vice locatedV in said circuit and adapted to receive Hertzian-wave signals and toset up electrical 'signals corresponding thereto in the circuit which includes said'signaLreceiving devices, "a radiator at a transmitting-station for sending out Hertzian waves, and means for causing said radiator to transmit signals ofany distinctive 4character to which any of said signal-receiving devices is ad apted. to re` spend, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination with-an automobile torpedo, of electrically-operated steering mech-v anism therefor, a plurality of electromagnetic signal L receivers controlling corresponding parts of said steering mechanism, an electricv circuit including said signal-receivers with a source of electric curre'ut, each of said signal-receivers being adapted to respond to elec-v trical impulsesof a characteristicperiodicity, a responsive device controlling said circuit and adapted to receive intermittent Hertzienwave signals, a radiator at a distant station -for transmitting Hertzien waves, and means for causing said -radiator to transmit intermittent Hertzien waves in impulses of a p e riodi'city corresponding to the periodicity to which any one of said signalreceivers is adapted to respond, whereby said responsive device is caused to set u'p electrical impulses of the same periodicity in the circuit which includes the several signal'receiversubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination .with an automobile vessel or vehicle, of a rudder therefor, elec-- -trornagnetic steering mechanism folcontrol; 5o ling the position of' said rudder, a responsive deviceadapted to be actuated byelectrical waves or disturbances, means controlled vby said responsive device for actuatingsaid electromagnetic steering mechanism, a distant son rc ofelectrioat'waves or"dlsturbances adapted to send ont wave-signals of a distinctive character, and means for controlling said source, whereby the course of the vessel. or vehicle may be directed from the source of said waves or disturbances, substantially as described. l

11. The combination with 'an automobile' torpedo, of a rudder therefor, electromagnetic' said steering mechanism and including'a source of 'electric current, a responsive de- 'vice adapted to beactuat-ed by waves, radiations or ethericdisturbances for controlling the electrical condition of said circuit, a-distant source of radiations, waves or disturb auces, and means for stopping andl starting the same, substantially as described.

' 12.The combination with an automobile vessel or vehicle, of steering mechanism therefor, a plurality ofcircuit-controlling' devices and circuits associating the same' each with a particular partV of said steering mechanism whereby the operation'of 'such part may be controlled, means,'adnpted to be actuatedby electrical waves o r disturbances for throwing into action either of said circuit-controlling devices, each of such circuit-controlling de.- vices being adapted to respond only to. signals of a distinctive character, :in d a source of electrical waves or disturbances of a character to actuate either of said'circuit-controlcuit adjusted or rendered responsive to elec trical waves, radiations ordisturbances, of a plurality of signal-receiving instruments inv the circuit, 'each adapted toselect and res'pondto signals of 'a peculiar anddistinctive l character, electromagnetic motordevices controlled by said instruments, and a radiator Whichlmay be located at a distant point fr propagating the waves or radiations and so for transmitting signals to which eitherof saidinstruments will respond, whereby-the electromagnetic motor devices can be controlled from Vthe distant point, substantially as set forth.

14. The combination with an automobile vessel or vehicle, of electromoto'devices for los actuated by: electrical waves or radiations,"

for throwing into actionjeither ofsaid signalreceiving instruments, and a radiator at a distant poin t -for transmitting waves or radiatio'ns of suitable character for operating either of said signal-recei ving instrumen ts, substantially as set forth. i

In vvit'ness whereof I hereunto subscribe my naine this 16th day'of July, A. D. 1898.

BRADLEY ALLAN Fissa. Witnesses:

N. M. DYER, 

